


Onwards

by accio_spaceman



Series: Onwards [2]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Episode: s04e06 The Doctor's Daughter, F/M, Gen, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-25 10:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18259517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_spaceman/pseuds/accio_spaceman
Summary: After "The Doctor's Daughter", The Doctor has done some reflecting on his conversation with Donna, and decides to make her an offer.





	Onwards

It wasn’t until a week later, sitting at the breakfast table, that Donna was reminded that they’d had this conversation.

They’d been so busy saving the Earth, and then breaking up the war on Messaline, mourning Jenny, and founding a colony on the new planet of “Eugenia”, (emphasis on the “ _geni”_ ), that it had taken The Doctor that long to remember the conversation himself.

“So, when to today, Spaceman?” Donna asked, relishing the new expression as she placed the freshly filled kettle back on the stand, sleepy but characteristically excited at the idea of their next adventure, despite the early hour. Well, _relative_ early hour.

“Actually, I did have an idea.”

“Ooh! Don’t tell me, don’t tell me – just tell me what weather to dress for!”

“Uh, actually, I do kind of need to talk to you about this one.” The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck.

“O-kaayyy, how much running does it involve?” Donna asked as she plonked herself down opposite him at the table with a bowl of cereal.

“What? Oh, no, no running-”

“-Really? That’d be a first!”

“Oi, I didn’t hear you complaining yesterday when you beat that Vinvocci lady to the sale items!”

Donna’s mouth opened to retort- and stayed open- and a bit longer-

“-You were saying?”

She raised her eyebrows, silently daring him to keep teasing her.

“Right, yes, when to go today. I was thinking; and I know the last time I did this for someone it didn’t exactly end well, but you’d never do something like that, and the circumstances are completely different anyway, so- I’m rambling aren’t I?”

The Doctor cut himself off as he caught sight of Donna’s expression.

“Yep!” She popped the “p”, echoing his own habit.

“Well, I wanted to offer, and you may not want to, which is absolutely fine, it’s completely your decision, but… The TARDIS can travel in time.”

“Sort of knew that part, Spaceman.” Donna replied around a mouthful of cereal, not following his train of thought.

“Which means we can visit people who, in your timeline, are dead.”

“Well yeah, otherwise meeting Ghandi probably would’ve gone a bit differently! Just spit it out, Spaceman, what are you talking about?”

“Well, that includes people from your personal timeline, Donna. Donna, we could visit your Dad, Donna. In the hospital, or before he was ill, or even before you were born! We can do that, if… if you want to?”

Donna was staring at him, her spoon frozen half way to her mouth and her jaw hanging open.

“Donna?”

She blinked hard and her soggy Cheerio’s slopped off the side of the now-wonky spoon to splat onto the table.

“What?” she whispered, refusing to believe what he’d just said.

The Doctor reached across the table to take her hands in his.

“We can visit him, Donna. If you want. But only if you’re sure.” He said carefully, studying the wide spectrum micro-expressions flashing across her face.

“We- you- the TARDIS can do that?” She asked weakly. “What about all that stuff about crossing your own history or whatever? I thought you couldn’t go to your own timeline? That’s why I couldn’t go back and marry Lance after I missed the wedding – I mean, that turned out for the best in the end, but you know what I mean.”

“Well, no, crossing personal timelines isn’t advisable if you can help it – best not to risk the paradox of bumping into yourself – and as I said, last time didn’t exactly go well, and usually I wouldn’t offer, but, technically, it is possible. And I know how much your dad meant to you. How much he still means to you.”

Donna shook her head, still struggling to comprehend what was being said.

“One last day…”

She was quiet for what seemed like forever, before, finally;

“No. I couldn’t. Thank you, Spaceman, _thank you_ for offering to do that for me, but… I couldn’t. To see him again, knowing that whatever I do or say, he’s still going to end up on that hospital bed, unable to even wipe his own drool? No. No, I made my peace, Spaceman. Yeah, I still miss him like crazy, and gosh sometimes I’d give anything to bring him back… But to see him knowing that we’d have to leave him again, to let the past play out? I can’t say goodbye to him again, Doctor. I barely managed it the first time.”

The Doctor was quiet throughout her speech, watching the grief distorting her features for the slightest nuance – why he wasn’t sure, but he so desperately wanted to help her heal, just like she’d be helping him. Like they’d both been helping each other.

He squeezed her hands tightly, before standing and using them to pull her up towards him into a hug.

“I’m proud of you.” He muttered into her shoulder.

“Yeah.” She sighed, releasing her vice-like grip.

“Come on then. Onwards.”

She managed a smile at the echo of her words from a few days before.

“Onwards.”

Clasping hands, they shared a subdued grin, bounding sound by side towards the Console Room.

**Author's Note:**

> “Eugenia…derives from the Greek word ευγενης (evgenes) meaning “well born”. It is composed of the elements ευ “good, well” and γενoς (genes) “born”…Eugenia is a NOBLE woman, with good manners and strong feelings…she is a dynamic person, very dependable.”
> 
> [Source](https://www.greek-names.info/eugenia-or-evgenia/)


End file.
